Keeping Score in Scrabble - Letter Tiles and Point Values How to Keep Score in Scrabble Keeping Score in Scrabble Knowing how to keep score in Scrabble is simple, but it’s also important. Each letter in Scrabble has its own value, while certain points on a Scrabble board are worth more points than others. Finally, there are a few special circumstances where Scrabble scoring differs than in other points of the game. Scrabble Letter Tiles – Point Values Below is a table showing the point values of each tile in Scrabble. I’ll include a table to show how many of each letter exists in a standard Scrabble game, as well. When you play one of these letter tiles on the Scrabble board, you get the point value indicated on the letter tile. Scrabble Point Distribution A – E – I – O – - U – L – N – R – S – T = 1 point D – G = 2 points B – C – M – P = 3 points F – H – W – Y – V = 4 points K = 5 points J – X = 8 points Q – Z = 10 points The following table shows how many of each letters there are in a standard game of Scrabble.

In all, there are 100 tiles to play in any given Scrabble game. Scrabble Letter Distribution 1: J – K – X – Q – Z 2: B – C – F – H – M – P – W – Y – V – Blank Tiles 3: G 4: D – L – S – U 6: N – R – T 10: E Double and Triple Scores When any of the letters of a word you place on the board covers a double or triple score, apply that modifier to your word score. If it’s a double or triple letter score, only modify the score for the letter on that tile. If it’s a double or triple word score, add up the score for all the tiles and then multiply the amount by the modifier. If you happen to cross two or more modifiers with your word, apply all of them. If you cross a triple letter score and a double word score, then multiple the triple score letter by x3 and then multiple the whole word score by x2. If you happen to cross two word multipliers, then remember to multiple the word score by both values. In this way, scores can reach large numbers.

There is a limiting factor to the scores made by these tiles, though. That’s because, once used, these tiles can’t be reused for the purposes of multipliers. Reusing Double and Triple Scores After a double-word or triple-word score has been used and figured, that space will not be worth a double- or triple-word score again in the game. The same goes for double-letter and triple-letter scores. For example, imagine that a letter tile saying double-word score, like the one you play off of at the beginning of the game, is “activated” at the beginning of the game. Whoever plays off that tile first gets a double-word score. But the next player who builds a word off that same letter does not get a double-word score. This rule is there for several purposes, but it keeps people from simply beating opponents by playing an -s or -ed or -ing at the end of words on the board. You can still do so, but you won’t score as many points (or more) if the original word played involved double- or triple-word scoring. 50 Point Bonus If at any time, you use all 7 tiles in your rack one on play, you get an automatic 50 point bonus.

This does not apply in the endgame scenario when you have less than 7 letters on your rack, of course. Final Scores in Scrabble Who “goes out” also has a big affect on the score. Eventually, the letter tiles will run out. When this happens, you will have a dwindling number of letter tiles on your rack. When this happens, the first person to get rid of all the letters on their rack on their turn “goes out”. The scoring is not yet finished, though. Every player with letters should add up the point values of those letters. These players should subtract that letter amount from their score. Once this is done, the point value for all those letters should also be added up collectively and added to the score of the person who “went out” or got rid of all their letter tiles first. In this way, the winner of a Scrabble game is often determined by who goes out first. This can be forgotten or only half-applied with new Scrabble players, so knowing how to score correctly in Scrabble is important.

Scrabble/Rules - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Scrabble/Rules Standard playing equipment includes: 15x15 Scrabble board Standard set of 100 tiles according to the usual distribution, placed in an opaque bag or face-down on the table (a bag is required in tournament play) One rack per player Goal[ edit ] The goal of Scrabble is to score as many points as possible by placing letter tiles to create words onto the game board. At the end of the game, when one player has used all of his tiles and there are no more tiles left to draw, the game ends. Before the game[ edit ] Players should agree on a dictionary or word source to be used, for the purpose of adjudicating challenges. The game is set up so that each player possesses one rack. The 100 letter tiles are placed into an opaque bag (or face-down), hidden from view. Each player draws one tile to determine order of play. The player with the letter closest to "A" in the alphabet, with the blanks taking precedence over "A," goes first, and play proceeds clockwise. If two players tie for first, repeat. Players return tiles to the bag, and shuffle.

Each player draws seven tiles, and places them on his or her rack, hidden from other players. Tournament play[ edit ] Since having all 100 tiles is crucial to tournament game play, players should confirm that the Scrabble set contains 100 tiles (this is usually done by arranging the tiles into four 5x5 squares, or one 10x10 square). In most tournament games, the player with the fewer number of firsts will go first; if there is a tie, the player with the most number of seconds goes first. If there is still a tie, both players draw one tile, as described above. Gameplay[ edit ] The first word formed must consist of at least two letters that form a word reading left-to-right or top-to-bottom, and touch the center square (H8, marked with a star). On every turn, the player has the option to: Pass his or her turn, scoring nothing. Exchange 1-7 tiles, scoring nothing. The proper way to exchange tiles is to place the exchanged tiles face down, draw replacement tiles, and put the exchanged tiles into the bag. You can only exchange if there are at least 7 tiles in the bag.

Make a play by adding at least one new tile to the board, record the score for the play, and add to his/her cumulative score. After making a play, the player announces the score for that play, and draws replacement tiles so that (s)he has seven tiles. Every play thereafter must connect to at least one tile already on the board. On subsequent plays, players can Extend a previously played word; e.g. if PARK is played, (PARK)S, (PARK)ING, RE(PARK) and RE(PARK)ING are all acceptable plays. "Hook" a word by adding one letter to a previously played word, and playing perpendicular (e.g. if PARK is played, playing ZEALOTS/S(PARK) is valid). Playing parallel to a previously-played word. For example, playing ILEA under PARK, forming PI, AL, RE, and KA. Some rules about subsequent plays: Diagonal plays or words that read right-to-left or bottom-to-top (e.g. SEIVARG*) are not acceptable. All letters played in one turn must lie on a line and form a continuous word (usually called the "main word").

At least one tile played must be adjacent to a tile previously on the board. Plays that violate the above conditions are unacceptable, and can be challenged off in tournament play, regardless of validity. There are two blank tiles, which may be used as any letter. Blank tiles score 0 points, regardless of the letter it designates. When a blank is played, the letter that the blank represents must be indicated, and cannot change in subsequent turns. Acceptable words[ edit ] All words in the agreed-upon dictionary, including inflections, are acceptable. Proper nouns are not acceptable, unless they have separate meanings (such as CHINA, JACK, or BOSTON). Most acronyms or abbreviations are not allowed, unless they appear as separate entries. Archaic spellings are generally not allowed. Foreign words which have been incorporated into the language are valid. Vulgar and offensive words are acceptable in tournament and most club play (however, the National School Scrabble Championship uses the OSPD5, which expurgates offensive words). The official word list in North American tournament play is the Official Club and Tournament Word List, 3nd Edition.

In other countries, the official word list is Collins Scrabble Words (CSW), 2015 edition. Note: Words that are only acceptable in CSW, but not TWL, are commonly denoted by a #. Challenging a play[ edit ] Main article: Challenging a play If player A forms a word that the opponent believes is invalid (not listed in the agreed-upon dictionary), the opponent can challenge the play. If the word(s) challenged are listed in the dictionary, the opponent loses his/her turn. If any of the challenged word(s) does not appear in the dictionary, player A removes his play from the board and loses his/her turn. The opponent can only challenge a play before player A draws replenishment tiles. See article on "Challenging a play" for more details. End of the game[ edit ] Under North American tournament rules, the game ends when: There are no more tiles left to draw, and one player has used up his or her tiles (known as playing out), or Six consecutive scoreless turns have occurred.

If a player plays out, the sum of the values of his opponents' tiles is added to his score, while each of the opponents' scores is reduced by the sum on his or her rack. In tournament play, the player playing out receives twice the value of his opponent's rack, and the opponent's score is unchanged. This does not affect point spread, but makes scoring slightly easier. Scoring[ edit ] Each letter tile has a number next to it that indicates how many points it is worth. Common letters, such as vowels, are worth 1 point, while rare letters such as "Q", "X", and "Z" are worth 8-10 points. Blank tiles are worth zero points. The score of a play is equal to the sum of the scores of all new words formed (including extensions or hook words, see examples below). Double Letter Score and Triple Letter Score (DLS, TLS) - a letter on this space is doubled or tripled in its point value. Double Word Score and Triple Word Score (DWS, TWS) - if any letter touches this space, the entire word is doubled in point value.

If your word includes both a letter bonus and a word bonus, the letter bonus is applied first, in accordance with order of operations. Note that the center square is a DWS, so the first play of the game receives a double word score. The premium letter squares are only applied on the first turn that they are used. On subsequent plays, the premium letter squares are nulled. If a pre-existing word is added onto with a tile that lands on a double word tile, the original word is not doubled. A play that covers two DWS is doubled then re-doubled (i.e. the score for the word is 4 times its face value) and is sometimes referred to as a "double-double." Similarly, a play covering two TWS is tripled then re-tripled ("triple-triple."). If a player uses all seven of their tiles on one play, they receives an extra 50 points, in addition to the score for the word. Such a play is commonly referred to as a bingo or a bonus. At the end of the game when nobody can make a move or someone goes out of tiles, each player subtracts the amount of points that remain unused on their rack from their total score.

If someone goes out of tiles, then the total of points on all other players' racks is added to their score as well. For this reason it's usually advantageous to be the first to dump all your tiles. Example[ edit ] Suppose player 1 plays FINED 8D. The score for this play is 2*(2*4 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2) = 26 points. Suppose player 2 extends FINED to form CON(FINED) 8A. The score for this play is 3*(3+1+1+4+1+1+1+2) = 42 points. Note that the F on the DLS retains its face value. Suppose player 1 plays BATTInG 7G (with a blank I), forming BE and AD. The score for the main word, BATTInG is 3*2 + 1 + 2*1 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 2*2 = 15. The score for B(E) is 3*2 + 1 = 7 (note that the B is doubled both directions).

The score for A(D) is 1+2 = 3. However, BATTInG uses all seven tiles, so it receives a 50 point bonus. The score for the play is 15+7+3+50 = 75. Player 1 has a 101-42 lead. Notation[ edit ] Like chess, Scrabble uses a notation system to annotate plays. Rows are labelled 1-15, and columns A-O, as shown below. Each square has a unique coordinate, so the top left square would be A1 and the center star is H8. A 3× WS Plays are usually notated in the form "WORD xy +score" where WORD indicates the main word played, xy is the coordinate of the first letter of the main word, and score is the score for the play. If the main word reads left-to-right, the row number precedes the column letter, and if the main word reads top-to-bottom, the column letter precedes the row number. All letters (except for blank tiles) are capitalized. Finally, if a word is played through one or more letters, the letters that were already on the board are surrounded by parentheses ().

For example, the first two plays of the game shown above are: QUAY 8E +32 How to Make a DIY Scrabble Board How to Make a DIY Scrabble Board Make a DIY Scrabble board so that you can enjoy this fun word game with friends. Watch this About.com video to learn how to make a DIY Scrabble board. Show transcript Hide transcript Transcript: How to Make a DIY Scrabble Board Hi, I'm Jacob Taxis for About.com. In this video you will learn how to make your own Scrabble board. Supplies to Make a DIY Scrabble Board To begin, you'll need: Large sheet of cardboard or foamboard Long ruler Alphabet ink stamps or alphabet stickers Star sticker Thin cardboard or illustration board Notepad Make a Grid for a DIY Scrabble Board First, using the ruler and a permanent marker, draw a square grid on your piece of foamboard. The square grid should have 15 rows and 15 columns. Next, color in the squares that will indicate Triple Word Score, Double Word Score, Triple Letter Score, and Double Letter Score. You can use any colors to paint the squares; however, because you’ll have to write over them, try to avoid very dark colors.

We’ll be using a variety of greens and blues. To make the process easier, at the top of the board, lightly letter the columns A-O. On the left side of the board, number the rows 1-15. Paint the DIY Scrabble Board With the craft paint, paint the following squares green: A-1, A-8, A-15, H-1, H-15, O-1, O-8, O-15. Paint the following squares teal: B-2, C-3, D-4, E-5, K-5, L-4, M-3, N-2, B-14, C-13, D-12, E-11, K-11, L-12, M-13, N-14, H-8. Paint the following squares blue: F-2, J-2, B-6, F-6, J-6, N-6, B-10, F-10, J-10, N-10, F-14, J-14.

Finally, paint the following squares light blue: D-1, L-1, G-3, I-3, A-4, H-4, O-4, C-7, G-7, I-7, M-7, D-8, L-8, C-9, G-9, I-9, M-9, A-12, H-12, O-12, G-13, I-13, D-15, L-15. Mark the Tiles for a DIY Scrabble Board When the paint dries, draw a star or place a star sticker in the green square at H-8 and erase the letters and numbers. Next, using a fine tip marker, write "Triple Word Score" in the light green squares, "Double Word Score" in the remaining teal squares, "Triple Letter Score" in the blue squares, and "Double Letter Score" in the light blue squares. When the board is complete, draw a square grid on the thin cardboard you're using for the letter tiles. The grid should have 10 rows and 10 columns.

Be sure to make each letter tile the same size as the squares on the playing board. Mark Points on a DIY Scrabble Board Next, stamp or stick the letters for the game on the tiles you've made. If you don’t have an ink stamper or any alphabet stickers, simply write the letters in the tiles with a marker. At the bottom right-hand corner of each tile, write the number of points awarded for that particular letter. Then cut the tiles out.

The following is a list of the proper number of tiles for each letter in the game and the number of points awarded for each letter: A: 9 tiles, 1 point B: 2 tiles, 3 points C: 2 tiles, 3 points D: 4 tiles, 2 points E: 12 tiles, 1 point F: 2 tiles, 4 points G: 3 tiles, 2 points H: 2 tiles, 4 points I: 9 tiles, 1 point J: 1 tile, 8 points K: 1 tile, 5 points L: 4 tiles, 1 point M: 2 tiles, 3 points N: 6 tiles, 1 point O: 8 tiles, 1 point P: 2 tiles, 3 points Q: 1 tile, 10 points R: 6 tiles, 1 point S: 4 tiles, 1 point T: 6 tiles, 1 point U: 4 tiles, 1 point V: 2 tiles, 4 points W: 2 tiles, 4 points X: 1 tile, 8 points Y: 2 tiles, 4 points Z:

 1 tile, 10 points Blank: 2 tiles, 0 points When complete, grab your notepad for scoring and you're ready to play!

Thank you for watching. For more, visit About.com. About videos are made available on an "as is" basis, subject to the Terms of Use . Scrabble Rules | Official Word Game Rules | Board Games Scoring You should have a game board, 100 letter tiles, a letter bag, and four racks. Before the game begins, all players should agree upon the dictionary that they will use, in case of a challenge. All words labeled as a part of speech (including those listed of foreign origin, and as archaic, obsolete, colloquial, slang, etc.) are permitted with the exception of the following: words always capitalized, abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes standing alone, words requiring a hyphen or an apostrophe. Place all letters in the pouch, or facedown beside the board, and mix them up. Draw for first play. The player with the letter closest to "A" plays first. A blank tile beats any letter. Return the letters to the pool and remix. All players draw seven new letters and place them on their racks.

#1 The first player combines two or more of his or her letters to form a word and places it on the board to read either across or down with one letter on the center square. Diagonal words are not allowed. #2 Complete your turn by counting and announcing your score for that turn. Then draw as many new letters as you played; always keep seven letters on your rack, as long as there are enough tiles left in the bag. #3 Play passes to the left. The second player, and then each in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played to form new words. All letters played on a turn must be placed in one row across or down the board, to form at least one complete word. If, at the same time, they touch others letters in adjacent rows, those must also form complete words, crossword fashion, with all such letters. The player gets full credit for all words formed or modified on his or her turn. #4 New words may be formed by: Adding one or more letters to a word or letters already on the board. Placing a word at right angles to a word already on the board. The new word must use one of the letters already on the board or must add a letter to it.

(See Turns 2, 3 and 4 below.) Placing a complete word parallel to a word already played so that adjacent letters also form complete words. (See Turn 5 in the Scoring Examples section below.) #5 No tile may be shifted or replaced after it has been played and scored. #6 Blanks: The two blank tiles may be used as any letters. When playing a blank, you must state which letter it represents. It remains that letter for the rest of the game. #7 You may use a turn to exchange all, some, or none of the letters. To do this, place your discarded letter(s) facedown. Draw the same number of letters from the pool, then mix your discarded letter(s) into the pool. This ends your turn. #8 Any play may be challenged before the next player starts a turn. If the play challenged is unacceptable, the challenged player takes back his or her tiles and loses that turn. If the play challenged is acceptable, the challenger loses his or her next turn. Consult the dictionary for challenges only. All words made in one play are challenged simultaneously. If any word is unacceptable, then the entire play is unacceptable. Only one turn is lost on any challenge.

#9 The game ends when all letters have been drawn and one player uses his or her last letter; or when all possible plays have been made. #1 Use a score pad or piece of paper to keep a tally of each player's score, entering it after each turn. The score value of each letter is indicated by a number at the bottom of the tile. The score value of a blank is zero. #2 The score for each turn is the sum of the letter values in each word(s) formed or modified on that turn, plus the additional points obtained from placing letters on Premium Squares. #3 Premium Letter Squares: A light blue square doubles the score of a letter placed on it; a dark blue square triples the letter score. #4 Premium Word Squares: The score for an entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a pink square: it is tripled when one of its letters is placed on a red square. Include premiums for double or triple letter values, if any, before doubling or tripling the word score.

If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (4 times the letter count), or tripled and then re-tripled (9 times the letter count). NOTE: the center square is a pink square, which doubles the score for the first word. #5 Letter and word premiums count only on the turn in which they are played. On later turns, letters already played on premium squares count at face value. #6 When a blank tile is played on a pink or red square, the value of the word is doubled or tripled, even though the blank itself has no score value. #7 When two or more words are formed in the same play, each is scored. The common letter is counted (with full premium value, if any) for each word. (See Turns 3, 4 and 5 in the Scoring Examples section.) #8 BINGO! If you play seven tiles on a turn, it's a Bingo. You score a premium of 50 points after totaling your score for the turn. #9 Unplayed Letters: When the game ends, each player's score is reduced by the sum of his or her unplayed letters.

In addition, if a player has used all of his or her letters, the sum of the other players' unplayed letters is added to that player's score. #10 The player with the highest final score wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the highest score before adding or deducting unplayed letters wins. Scoring Examples In the following, the words added on five successive turns are shown in bold type. The scores shown are the correct scores if the letter R is placed on the center square. In Turn 1, count HORN: in Turn 2, FARM; in Turn 3, PASTE and FARMS; in Turn 4, MOB, NOT and BE; in Turn 5, BIT, PI and AT. Got Questions? Scrabble | Letter Tile Games Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Letter Tile Games Wiki Scrabble brand logo by Mattel, Inc., used throughout the rest of the world |250px]] No Title No information Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid.

The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary . Official reference works (e.g. The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary ) provide a list of permissible words. The Collins Scrabble checker can also be used to check if a word is allowed. [1] The name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the United States and Canada. Elsewhere, Scrabble is trademarked by Mattel . The game is sold in 121 countries; there are 29 different language versions. One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold worldwide, and sets are found in roughly one-third of American homes. [2] [3] [4] Contents File:Alfred Butts letter frequencies.JPG In 1938, architect Alfred Mosher Butts created the game as a variation on an earlier word game he invented called Lexiko . The two games had the same set of letter tiles, whose distributions and point values Butts worked out meticulously performing a frequency analysis of letters from various sources including The New York Times . The new game, which he called "Criss-Crosswords," added the 15-by-15 game board and the crossword-style game play.

He manufactured a few sets himself, but was not successful in selling the game to any major game manufacturers of the day. [5] In 1948, James Brunot, [6] a resident of Newtown, Connecticut – and one of the few owners of the original Criss-Crosswords game – bought the rights to manufacture the game in exchange for granting Butts a royalty on every unit sold. Though he left most of the game (including the distribution of letters) unchanged, Brunot slightly rearranged the "premium" squares of the board and simplified the rules; he also changed the name of the game to "Scrabble," a real word which means "to scratch frantically." In 1949, Brunot and his family made sets in a converted former schoolhouse in Dodgingtown , a section of Newtown. They made 2,400 sets that year, but lost money. [7] According to legend, Scrabble's big break came in 1952 when Jack Straus, president of Macy's , played the game on vacation. Upon returning from vacation, he was surprised to find that his store did not carry the game.

He placed a large order and within a year, "everyone had to have one." [8] In 1952, unable to meet demand himself, Brunot sold manufacturing rights to Long Island-based Selchow and Righter (one of the manufacturers who, like Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley Company , had previously rejected the game). Selchow & Righter bought the trademark to the game in 1972. [9] JW Spears began selling the game in Australia and the UK on January 19, 1955. The company is now a subsidiary of Mattel , Inc. [5] In 1986, Selchow and Righter sold the game to Coleco , who soon after went bankrupt. The company's assets, including Scrabble and Parcheesi , were purchased by Hasbro . [9] In 1984, Scrabble was turned into a daytime game show on NBC . Scrabble ran from July 1984 to March 1990, with a second run from January to June 1993. The show was hosted by Chuck Woolery .

The tagline of the show in promo broadcasts was, "Every man dies; not every man truly Scrabbles." In 2011, a new TV variation of Scrabble, called "Scrabble Showdown", aired on "The Hub" cable channel, which is a is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Inc. and Hasbro. Game details File:Scrabbletileset.png The game is played by two to four players on a square (or nearly square) board with a 15-by-15 grid of cells (individually known as "squares"), each of which accommodates a single letter tile. In official club and tournament games, play is always between two players (or, occasionally, between two teams each of which collaborates on a single rack). The board is marked with "premium" squares, which multiply the number of points awarded: dark red "triple-word" squares, pink "double-word" squares, dark blue "triple-letter" squares, and light blue "double-letter" squares [In 2008, Hasbro changed the colors of the premiums squares to orange for TW, red for DW, blue for DL, and green for TL].

The center square (H8) is often marked with a star or logo, and counts as a double-word square. In an English-language set the game contains 100 tiles, 98 of which are marked with a letter and a point value ranging from 1 to 10. The number of points of each lettered tile is based on the letter's frequency in standard English writing; commonly used letters such as E or O are worth one point, while less common letters score higher, with Q and Z each worth 10 points. The game also has two blank tiles that are unmarked and carry no point value. The blank tiles can be used as substitutes for any letter; once laid on the board, however, the choice is fixed. Other language sets use different letter set distributions with different point values. Template:See Edit In the notation system common in tournament play, columns are labeled "A-O" and rows "1-15". A play is usually identified in the format xy WORD score or WORD xy score, where x denotes the column or row on which the play's main word extends, y denotes the second coordinate of the main word's first letter, and WORD is the main word.

Although unnecessary, additional words formed by the play are occasionally listed after the main word and a slash. In the case where the play of a single tile forms words in each direction, one of the words is arbitrarily chosen to serve as the main word for purposes of notation. When a blank tile is employed in the main word, the letter it has been chosen to represent is indicated with a lower case letter, or, in handwritten notation, with a square around the letter. Parentheses are sometimes also used to designate a blank, although this may create confusion with a second (optional) function of parentheses, namely indication of an existing letter or word that has been "played through" by the main word. Example 1: A(D)DITiON(AL) D3 74 (played through the existing letter D and word AL, using a blank for the second I, extending down the D column and beginning on row 3, and scoring 74 points) The parentheses can be omitted, though, if each play states how many tiles were laid on the board in that play. Sequence of play File:Scrabble1.JPG Next, players decide the order in which they play.

The normal approach is for players to draw tiles: the player who picks the letter closest to the beginning of the alphabet goes first (with blank tiles ranked higher than A's). In North American tournaments, the rules of the US-based North American Scrabble Players Association (NASPA) stipulate instead that players who have gone first in the fewest number of games in the tournament have priority, or failing that, those who have gone second the most. In the case of a tie, tiles are drawn as in the standard rules. At the beginning of the game, and after each turn until the bag is empty (or until there are no more face-down tiles), players draw tiles to replenish their "racks", or tile-holders, with seven tiles, from which they will make plays. Each rack is concealed from the other players. During a turn, a player will have seven or fewer letter tiles in their rack from which to choose a play.

On each turn, a player has the option to: (1) pass, forfeiting the turn and scoring nothing; (2) exchange one or more tiles for an equal number from the bag, scoring nothing, an option which is only available if at least seven tiles remain in the bag; or (3) form a play on the board, adding its value to the player's cumulative score. A proper play uses any number of the player's tiles to form a single continuous word ("main word") on the board, reading either left-to-right or top-to-bottom. The main word must either use the letters of one or more previously played words, or else have at least one of its tiles horizontally or vertically adjacent to an already played word. If words other than the main word are newly formed by the play, they are scored as well, and are subject to the same criteria for acceptability. When the board is blank, the first word played must cover H8, the center square. The word must consist of at least two letters, extending horizontally or vertically. H8 is a premium square, so the first player to play a word receives a double score. A blank tile may take the place of any letter.

It remains as that letter thereafter for the rest of the game. Individually, it scores no points regardless of what letter it is designated and its possible placement on a premium square. However, its placement on a double-word or triple-word square does cause the appropriate premium to be scored for the word in which it is used. While not allowed in official or tournament play, a common " house rule " allows players to "recycle" blank tiles by later substituting the corresponding letter tile. After playing a word, the player draws letter tiles from the bag to replenish their rack to seven tiles. If there are not enough tiles in the bag to do so, the player takes all of the remaining tiles. After a player plays a word, their opponent may choose to challenge any or all the words formed by the play. If any of the words challenged is found to be unacceptable, the play is removed from the board, the player returns the newly played tiles to their rack and their turn is forfeited. In tournament play, a challenge is to the entire play rather than any one word, so a judge (human or computer) is used, and players are not entitled to know which word or words caused the challenge to succeed.

Penalties for unsuccessfully challenging an acceptable play vary within club and tournament play, and are described in greater detail below. Under North American rules, the game ends when (1) one player plays every tile in their rack, and there are no tiles remaining in the bag (regardless of the tiles in their opponent's rack); or (2) when six successive scoreless turns have occurred. (For several years, a game could not end with a cumulative score of zero-zero, but this is no longer the case, and this has occurred a number of times in tournament play. [10] ) When the game ends, each player's score is reduced by the sum of his/her unplayed letters. In addition, if a player has used all of his or her letters, the sum of the other player's unplayed letters is added to that player's score; in tournament play, a player who "goes out" adds double this sum, and the opponent is not penalized. Scoreless turns can occur when a player passes, when a player exchanges tiles, or when a player loses a challenge. The latter rule varies slightly in international tournaments.

Scoring Orange Each word formed in the play is scored this way: Any tile played from the player's rack onto a previously vacant square that is a "double-letter" or "triple-letter" premium square has its point value doubled or tripled as indicated. Add the normal point value of all other letters in the word (whether newly played or existing). For each newly played tile placed on a "double-word" premium square, the total of each word containing that tile is doubled (or redoubled). For each newly placed tile placed on a "triple-word" premium square, the total of each word containing that tile is tripled (or re-tripled). Premium squares affect the score of each word made in the same play by constituent tiles played upon those squares. Premium squares, once played upon, are not counted again in subsequent plays. Players occasionally achieve quadruple (4x) or nonuple (9x) word scores by spanning two double-word (called a "double-double" or two triple-word premium squares (called a "triple-triple") with a single word. Septenviguple (27x) word scores spanning three triple-word squares are possible, if only in constructed games.

(A hexuple [6x] or octodecuple [18x] word score is also possible under the rules, but only remotely so, since it would require that the opening play have missed the center square and not have been challenged off as a result. Game-construction enthusiasts have disavowed this ruse.) If a player uses all seven of the tiles in the rack in a single play, a bonus of 50 points is added to the score of that play (this is called a " bingo " in Canada and the United States, a "Scrabble" in Spain and a "bonus" elsewhere). These bonus points are added after totaling the score for that turn. When the letters to be drawn have run out, the final play can often determine the winner. This is particularly the case in close games with more than two players. The player who goes out first gets the sum of all remaining unplayed tiles added to their score. Players with tiles remaining on their rack have the sum of their remaining tiles subtracted from their score. Acceptable words Edit Acceptable words are the primary entries in some chosen dictionary , and all of their inflected forms.

Words that are hyphenated, capitalized (such as proper nouns), or apostrophized are not allowed, unless they also appear as acceptable entries: "Jack" is a proper noun, but the word JACK is acceptable because it has other usages as a common noun (automotive, vexillological , etc.) and verb that are acceptable. Acronyms or abbreviations, other than those that have been regularized (such as AWOL, RADAR, LASER, and SCUBA), are not allowed. Variant spellings, slang or offensive terms, archaic or obsolete terms, and specialized jargon words are allowed if they meet all other criteria for acceptability. Foreign words are not allowed in the English language Scrabble unless they have been incorporated into the English language – for example, the words "patisserie" and "glace". Proper nouns and other exceptions to the usual rules are allowed in some limited contexts in the spin-off game Scrabble Trickster . There are two popular competition word lists used in various parts of the world: TWL and SOWPODS (also referred to as "Collins").

OWL2 and OSPD4 Edit The North American 2006 Official Tournament and Club Word List, Second Edition (OWL2) went into official use in American, Canadian, Israeli and Thai club and tournament play on March 1, 2006 (or, for school use, the bowdlerized Official Scrabble Players Dictionary , Fourth Edition (OSPD4)). Early printings of OWL2 and OSPD4 have to be amended according to corrigenda posted at the National Scrabble Association web site. North American competitions use the Long Words List for longer words. The OWL2 and the OSPD4 are compiled using four (originally five) major college-level dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster (10th and 11th editions, respectively). If a word appears, at least historically, any one of the dictionaries, it will be included in the OWL2 and the OSPD4. If the word has only an offensive meaning, it is only included in the OWL2.

The key difference between the OSPD4 and the OWL2 is that the OSPD4 is marketed for "home and school" use, with expurgated words which their source dictionaries judged offensive, rendering the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary less fit for official Scrabble play. The OSPD4 is available in bookstores, whereas the OWL2 is only available from the National Scrabble Association 's retail website wordgear.com (as of July 2009, NSA membership is no longer required to purchase the OWL). Collins Scrabble Words Edit In all other countries, the competition word list is the Tournament and Club Word List (Collins), also known as Collins Scrabble Words. It was published in May 2007 (see SOWPODS ) and it lists all words of length 2 to 15 letters and is thus a complete reference. This list contains all OWL2 words plus words sourced from Chambers and Collins English dictionaries. This book is used to adjudicate at the World Scrabble Championship and all other major international competitions outside of North America.

Collins Scrabble Words 2012 Edition will be used from 1 January 2012 for countries currently using the Tournament and Club Word List (Collins). Challenges Main article: Challenge (Scrabble) The penalty for a successfully challenged play is nearly universal: the offending player removes the tiles played and forfeits the turn. (However, in some online games, an option known as "void" may be used, wherein unacceptable words are automatically rejected by the program. The player is then required to make another play, with no penalty applied.) The penalty for an unsuccessful challenge (where all words formed by the play are deemed valid) varies considerably, including: "Double Challenge", in which an unsuccessfully challenging player must forfeit the next turn. This penalty governs North American (NASPA-sanctioned) tournaments, and is the standard for North American, Israeli and Thai clubs. Because loss of a turn generally constitutes the greatest risk for an unsuccessful challenge, it provides the greatest incentive for a player to "bluff", or play a "phony" – a plausible word that they know or suspect to be unacceptable, hoping their opponent will not call them on it.

Players have divergent opinions on this aspect of the double-challenge game and the ethics involved, but officially it is considered a valid part of the game. "Single Challenge"/"Free Challenge", in which no penalty whatsoever is applied to a player who unsuccessfully challenges. This is the default rule in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, as well as for many tournaments in Australia, although these countries do sanction occasional tournaments using other challenge rules. Modified "Single Challenge", in which an unsuccessful challenge does not result in the loss of the challenging player's turn, but is penalized by the loss of a specified number of points. The most common penalty is five points. The rule has been adopted in Singapore (since 2000), Malaysia (since 2002), South Africa (since 2003), New Zealand (since 2004), and Kenya, as well as in contemporary World Scrabble Championships (since 2001). Some countries and tournaments (including Sweden) use a 10-point penalty instead. In most game situations, this penalty is much lower than that of the "double challenge" rule. Consequently, such tournaments encourage a greater willingness to challenge and a lower willingness to play dubious words.

Historic evolution of the rules The North American "box rules" (that are included in each game box, as contrasted with tournament rules) have been edited four times: in 1953, 1976, 1989, and 1999. [11] The major changes in 1953 were as follows: It was made clear that: words could be played through single letters already on the board. a player could play a word parallel and immediately adjacent to an existing word provided all crosswords formed were valid. the effect of two word premium squares were to be compounded multiplicatively. The previously unspecified penalty for having one's play successfully challenged was stated: withdrawal of tiles and loss of turn. The major changes in 1976 were as follows: It was made clear that the blank tile beats an A when drawing to see who goes first. A player could now pass his/her turn, doing nothing. A loss-of-turn penalty was added for challenging an acceptable play. If final scores are tied, the player whose score was highest before adjusting for unplayed tiles is the winner. The editorial changes made in 1989 did not affect game play.

The major changes in 1999 were as follows: It was made clear that: a tile can be shifted or replaced until the play has been scored. a challenge applies to all the words made in the given play. Playing all seven tiles is officially called a "Bingo". A change of wording could be inferred to mean that a player can form more than one word in one row on a turn. Club and tournament play Main article: English language Scrabble Tens of thousands play club and tournament Scrabble worldwide. The intensity of play, obscurity of words, and stratospheric scores in tournament games may come as a shock to many parlor players. All tournament (and most club) games are played with a game clock and a set time control . Although casual games are often played with unlimited time, this is problematic in competitive play among players for whom the number of evident legal plays is immense. Almost all tournament games involve only 2 players; typically, each has 25 minutes in which to make all of his or her plays. For each minute by which a player oversteps the time control, a penalty of 10 points is assessed.

The number of minutes is rounded up, so, for example, if a player oversteps time control by two minutes and five seconds, the penalty is 30 points. Also, most players use molded plastic tiles (of which Protiles is one major brand), not engraved like the original wooden tiles, eliminating the potential for a cheating player to "braille" (feel for particular tiles, especially blanks, in the bag). Players are allowed "tracking sheets", preprinted with the letters in the initial pool, from which tiles can be crossed off as they are played. Tracking tiles is an important aid to strategy, especially during the endgame, when no tiles remain to be drawn and each player can determine exactly what is on the opponent's rack. The most prestigious (regularly held) tournaments include: The World Scrabble Championship : held in odd years, the last was in Johor Bahru , Malaysia in 2009. [12] The National Scrabble Championship : an open event attracting several hundred players, held around July/August every year or two, most recently in Dallas, Texas on August 7–11, 2010. The Brand's Crossword Game King's Cup : the largest tournament in the World.

Held annually around the end of June or beginning of July. Other important tournaments include: The World Youth Scrabble Championships : entry by country qualification, restricted to under 18 years old. Held annually since 2006. The National School Scrabble Championship : entry open to North American school students. Held annually since 2003. The Canadian Scrabble Championship : entry by invitation only to the top fifty Canadian players. Held every two to three years. Clubs in North America typically meet one day a week for three or four hours and some charge a small admission fee to cover their expenses and prizes. Clubs also typically hold at least one open tournament per year. Tournaments are usually held on weekends, and between six and nine games are played each day. There are also clubs in the UK and many other countries. There are a number of internationally rated SOWPODS -tournaments. [13] During off hours at tournaments, many players socialize by playing consultation (team) Scrabble, Clabbers , Anagrams , Boggle and other games. Computer players Edit Maven is a computer opponent for the game, created by Brian Sheppard.

The official Scrabble computer game in North America uses a version of Maven as its artificial intelligence and is published by Atari . Outside of North America, the official Scrabble computer game is published by Ubisoft . Quackle is an open-source alternative to Maven of comparable strength. [14] Console and computer video game versions The Nintendo DS version of Scrabble 2007 Edition made news when parents became angry over the game's AI using potentially offensive language during gameplay. [15] Scrabble on the Internet Edit A number of sites offer the possibility to play Scrabble online against other users. The game is available to play for free at part of Electronic Arts. The Internet Scrabble Club (ISC) , which is free of charge, is frequented continuously by thousands of players, including many of the game's most renowned experts. The social networking site Facebook had offered an online variation of Scrabble called Scrabulous as a third-party application add-on. On January 15, 2008, it was reported that Hasbro and Mattel were in the process of suing the creators of Scrabulous for copyright infringement .

On July 24, 2008, Hasbro filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the creators of Scrabulous. [16] On July 28, 2008 the Scrabulous Facebook application was disabled for users in North America, [17] eventually re-appearing as " Lexulous " in September 2008, with changes made to distinguish it from Scrabble. On December 20, 2008 Hasbro withdrew their lawsuit against RJ Softwares. [18] There is also a version in Turkish as a Facebook application named "SKRABL Turkce" which offers only 2 player game. [19] Mattel launched its official version of online Scrabble, Scrabble by Mattel on Facebook in late March 2008. [20] [21] The application was developed by Gamehouse , a division of RealNetworks who has been licensed by Mattel. [21] However since Hasbro controls the copyright for North America with the copyright for the rest of the world belonging Mattel, [20] the Facebook application is available only to players outside the United States and Canada.

[21] Ownership of the rights to Scrabble by multiple companies is limiting the introduction of the game to Facebook [21] and, between its launch date and April 6, 2008, fewer than 2000 users had registered, compared with 600,000 registered Scrabulous users. [21] As of November 3, 2008, the official Facebook Scrabble game has 203,644 monthly active users. The new "official" application has been heavily criticised in Facebook reviews, particularly by former users of the Scrabulous application which allowed American and Canadian users to play opponents in other countries, which is no longer possible: the Scrabble Beta application is only available in the USA and Canada, whereas Scrabble Worldwide is only available to other countries. Some have complained that they have been unable to use the new application due to technical bugs and glitches, and many have criticized Hasbro for failing to reach an agreement with Scrabulous developers. [22] In addition, the Facebook version only allows automatic verification of words, making it impossible to play invalid words, and making challenges redundant.

RealNetworks has stated that the application is currently in its beta stage and there have been reports of a number of bugs and limitations. [21] The Original Scrabble now exists on Facebook, and was developed by Electronic Arts . Scrabble "TV game show" board game versions Main article: Scrabble (game show) In 1987, a board game was released by Selchow & Righter, based on the Scrabble game show which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1990 (and for five months in 1993). Billed as the "Official Home Version" of the game show (or officially as the "TV Scrabble Home Game"), game play bears more resemblance to the game show than it does to a traditional Scrabble game, although it does utilize a traditional Scrabble game board in play. On September 17, 2011, a new game show based on Scrabble, called "Scrabble Showdown", premiered on the The Hub . The show is hosted by Justin "Kredible" Willman .

[23] Super Scrabble Main article: Super Scrabble A new licensed product, Super Scrabble , was launched in North America by Winning Moves Games in 2004 under license from Hasbro, with the deluxe version (with turntable and lock-in grid) released in February 2007. A Mattel-licensed product for the rest of the world was released by Tinderbox Games in 2006. This set comprises 200 tiles in slightly modified distribution to the standard set and a 21×21 playing board. Records Edit The following records were achieved during competitive club or tournament play, according to authoritative sources, including the book Everything Scrabble by Joe Edley and John D. Williams, Jr. (revised edition, Pocket Books , 2001) and the Scrabble FAQ. [24] When available, separate records are listed based upon different official word lists: OSPD or OCTWL, the North American list also used in Thailand and Israel; OSW, formerly the official list in the UK; SOWPODS, the combined OSPD+OSW now used in much of the world.

To date, new editions or revisions of these lists have not been considered substantial enough to warrant separate record-keeping. High game (OSPD) – 830 by Michael Cresta (Mass.), October 12, 2006. Cresta defeated Wayne Yorra 830-490. [25] [26] High game (OSW) – 793 by Peter Preston (UK), 1999. [27] High game (SOWPODS) – Nicholas Mbugua set a new Kenya record with 789 on June 3, 2007 at the 2nd WSC Qualifier in Machakos. Russell Honeybun set a new Australian record with 764 in August 2007. High combined score (OSPD) – 1320 (830-490) by Michael Cresta and Wayne Yorra, in a Lexington, Mass., club, 2006.

[25] [26] High combined score (OSPD) in a tournament game – 1134 (582-552) by Keith Smith (Tex.) and Stefan Rau (Conn.), Round 12 of the 2008 Dallas Open. (Rau's losing score of 552 included three phony words which were not challenged.) [28] High combined score (OSPD) in a tournament game with no phony words played – 1127 (725-402) by Laurie Cohen (Ariz.) and Nigel Peltier (Wash.), in a tournament in Ahwatukee, Arizona, February 16, 2009. [29] High combined score (SOWPODS) – 1157 (627-530) by Phillip Edwin-Mugisha (Uganda) and Vannitha Balasingam (Malaysia), at the 2009 World Scrabble Championship.

[30] Highest losing score (OSPD) – 552 by Stefan Rau (Conn.) to Keith Smith's (Tex.) 582, Round 12 of the 2008 Dallas Open. [28] Highest tie game (OSPD) – 502-502 by John Chew and Zev Kaufman, at a 1997 Toronto Club tournament. [31] Highest tie game (SOWPODS) – 522-522 by A Webb and N Deller, at the Peterborough Free Challenge Event 2009 [32] Highest opening move score (OSPD) – MuZJIKS (with a blank for the U) 126 by Jesse Inman (S.C.) at the National Scrabble Championship , 2008. [33] The highest possible legal score on a first turn is MUZJIKS 128, using an actual U rather than a blank. Highest opening move score (SOWPODS) – BEZIQUE 124 by Sam Kantimathi (1993), [34] Joan Rosenthal.

[35] BEZIQUE 124 by Sally Martin. [35] Highest single play (OSPD) – QUIXOTRY 365 by Michael Cresta (Mass.), 2006. [25] [26] Highest single play (SOWPODS) – CAZIQUES 392 by Karl Khoshnaw. [36] Highest average score, multi-day tournament (OSPD) – 474 by Suhas Rao (N.C.) over 29 rounds at the 2011 National Scrabble Championship . [37] 471 by Chris Cree (Tex.) over 18 rounds at the Bayou Bash in Houston, Tex., 2007. [38] Highest average score, multi-day tournament (SOWPODS) – 499.94 by Nigel Richards (MY) over 16 rounds at the 7th Lim Boon Heng Cup, Singapore, 2009.

[39] In the absence of better documentation, it is believed that the following records were achieved under a formerly popular British format known as the "high score rule", in which a player's tournament result is determined only by the player's own scores, and not by the differentials between that player's scores and the opponents'. As a result, play in this system "encourages elaborate setups often independently mined by the two players", [27] and is profoundly different from the standard game in which defensive considerations play a major role. While the "high score" rule has unsurprisingly led to impressively high records, it is currently out of favor throughout the world; associating its records with normal competitive play is misleading. High game score of 1,049 by Phil Appleby of Lymington, Hants, UK , on June 25, 1989 in Wormley, Herts, UK. His opponent scored just 253 points, giving Appleby a record victory margin of 796 points. High single-turn score of 392, by Dr. Saladin Karl Khoshnaw [36] in Manchester , UK, in April 1982.

The word he used was CAZIQUES , meaning "native chiefs of West Indian aborigines". Hypothetical scores in possible and legal but highly unlikely plays and games are far higher, primarily through the use of words that cover three triple-word-score squares. The highest reported score for a single play is 1780 (OSPD) and 1785 (SOWPODS) using oxyphenbutazone . [40] When only adding the word sesquioxidizing to these official lists, one could theoretically score 2015 (OSPD) and 2044 (SOWPODS) points in a single move. [40] The highest reported combined score for a theoretical game is 3,986 points using OSPD words only. [41] Other records are available for viewing at Template:PDFlink , an unofficial record book which includes the above as sources and expands on other topics. International versions Edit Template:See Versions of the game have been released in several other languages. The game was called Alfapet when it was introduced in Sweden in 1954.

However, since the mid-1990s, the game has also been known as Scrabble in Sweden. Alfapet is now another crossword game, created by the owners of the name Alfapet. A Russian version is called Erudit. Versions have been prepared for Dakotah , Haitian Creole , Dakelh ( Carrier language ), and Tuvan . [42] For languages with digraphs counted as single letters, such as Welsh and Hungarian , the game features separate tiles for those digraphs. Variations Main article: Scrabble variants Variations of the game include AlphaJax, Literati, Alfapet, Funworder, Skip-A-Cross, Scramble, Spelofun, Square-write, Palabras Cruzadas ("crossed words"), Word for Word, Lexulous, Wordipelago, Wordfeud, and Words With Friends . While these games are similar to the original Scrabble game, they include minor variations. For example, Literati draws random tiles instead of providing a finite number of tiles for the game, assigns different point levels to each letter and has a slightly different board layout whereas Lexulous assigns eight letters to each player instead of the customary seven.

Duplicate Scrabble is a popular variant in French speaking countries . Every player has the same letters on the same board and the players must submit a paper slip at the end of the allotted time (usually 3 minutes) with the highest scoring word they have found. This is the format used for the French World Scrabble Championships but it is also used in Romanian and Dutch . There is no limit to the number of players that can be involved in one game, and at Vichy in 1998 there were 1485 players, a record for French Scrabble tournaments. In one variation of Scrabble, blanks actually do score points corresponding to the letter which the blank is used to represent. For example, if one played blank to represent a "Z", it would get ten; a blank to represent a V or an H would get four; a blank to represent a D would get 2 and blank to represent a T, N or any of the vowels would get one. Game board formats The game has been released in numerous game board formats appealing to various user groups. The original boards included wood tiles and many "deluxe" sets still do.

Travel editions Edit Editions are available for travelers who may wish to play in a conveyance such as a train or plane, or who may wish to pause a game in progress and resume later. Many versions thus include methods to keep letters from moving, such as pegboards, recessed tile holders and magnetic tiles. Players' trays are also designed with stay-fast holders. Such boards are also typically designed to be folded and stowed with the game in progress. Production and Marketing Company, 1954 – metal hinged box, Bakelite tiles inlaid with round magnets, chrome tile racks, silver colored plastic bag and cardboard box covered with decorative paper. The box, when opened flat, measures 8½″ × 7¾″ and the tiles measure ½″ × ½″ each. Spear's Games, 1980s – boxed edition with pegboard, plastic tiles with small feet to fit snugly in the pegboard. Racks are clear plastic, allowing some sorting while holding tiles fairly snugly. Set comes with a drawstring plastic bag to draw tiles and a cardboard box. It is possible to save a game in progress by returning the board to the box.

There is risk of players' trays being mixed and upset, and the box lid, held on by friction, is subject to upset. Selchow & Righter, 1980s – pocket edition with plastic "magnetic" board and tiles. Tile racks are also plastic with asymmetrical shape to provide handhold. All elements fit in a plastic envelope for travel and to permit a pause in the game. Plastic letters are very small and tend to lose their grip if not placed with slight lateral movement and if they are not perfectly clean. Game format is extremely small, allowing Scrabble games for backpackers and others concerned about weight and size. Hasbro Games, 2001 – hinged plastic board with clear tile-shaped depressions to hold tiles in play. Board is in a black, zippered folio such that board and tiles may be folded for travel, even with game in play. Reverse side of board contains numbered mounts for racks, holding tiles face down, allowing secure and confidential storage of tiles while game is paused. Some versions have tile racks with individual tile slots, thus not permitting easy sorting of tiles in rack. Deluxe editions Edit At the opposite end, some "deluxe" editions offer superior materials and features.

These include editions on a rotating turntable so players can always face the board with the letters upright and a raised grid that holds the tiles in place. More serious players often favor custom Scrabble boards, often made of Lucite or hardwood, that have superior rotating mechanisms and personalized graphics. Large print edition Edit An edition has been released (in association with the RNIB ) with larger board and letters for players with impaired vision. The colours on the board are more contrasting and the font size is increased from 16 to 24 point. The tiles are in bold 48 point. Works detailing tournament Scrabble An introduction to tournament Scrabble and its players can be found in the book Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis . In the process of writing, Fatsis himself progressed into a high-rated tournament player. There have been numerous documentaries made about the game, including: Word Wars (2004) by Eric Chaikin and Julian Petrillo, about the "tiles and tribulations on the Scrabble game circuit".

Scrabylon (2003), by Scott Petersen, which "gives an up-close look at why people get so obsessed with that seemingly benign game..." Word Slingers by Eric Siblin and Stefan Vanderland (produced for CBC , 2002), which follows four expert Canadian players at the 2001 World Championship in Las Vegas. See also Scrabble Rules That Cause The Most Arguments [ ? ]Word Buff Can Come to YOU! The Scrabble Rules That Cause Most Arguments So just what are the Official Scrabble Rules? Let me begin by explaining why this question doesn't have a completely clear answer... The Scrabble rules have been modified several times over the years, so that what you'll see inside the box-lid will depend on the age of your Scrabble set. Scrabble is owned by two companies (Hasbro in North America, and Mattel throughout the rest of the world), and the rules differ regionally. Official Scrabble bodies set up throughout the world to manage clubs and tournaments have their own variations and clarifications of the rules which, in some cases, will differ from those you'll see in the rules distributed with Scrabble sets. All sound a bit complicated?

I guess it is, but that doesn't mean I'll leave you all messed up. The two main points I'd like to get across on this page are that... 1. Many of the commonly debated rules do indeed have satisfactory, widely accepted, answers that we can safely call 'official', and 2. When it comes to the more ambiguous rules, the important thing is that you agree on a clear statement of these rules before you start your game. On this page I'll help you clarify the rules that are widely accepted as 'official', and provide you with enough information to make a good decision about the more 'debatable' rules. Also, just like the law, it is impossible to write a set of Scrabble Rules that will cater for every possible eventuality. So later, I'll show you some of the detail required in the official rules for international Scrabble tournaments so you can see why. But first, let's see if we can settle those disputes that happen time and time again... Which Words are Allowed? The exact wording of the rules determining which words are permitted in Scrabble varies slightly from source to source, but is always something very similar to the following (from my own very old Scrabble set)...

'Any words found in a standard dictionary are permitted except those capitalized, those designated as foreign words, abbreviations, and words requiring apostrophes or hyphens.' This is close to the initial wording first used by Alfred Butts, and all modern phrasings of this rule are intended to agree with its intent. The problem of course, is that there is so much ambiguity in this rule. What do we mean by a 'standard dictionary' for example? And what do we do about inflections of words, which are not usually explicitly listed in dictionaries? That reference to 'foreign words' is also a can of worms. English was built up from foreign languages, and it isn't clear just how foreign a word has to be before it should be disallowed in Scrabble. The easiest solution is this: get yourself a Scrabble Dictionary . A Scrabble dictionary lists every single word allowed in Scrabble, including inflections and other derivations, and therefore enables you to declare immediately whether a word is in or out without arguments (provided you both agree on one prior to playing!).

Furthermore, Scrabble dictionaries are put together by professional lexicographers (dictionary-makers) in conjunction with Scrabble experts, to make sure that the Scrabble rules are adhered to as carefully and consistently as possible. If you really insist on using your own favorite English dictionary, I can understand your motivation, but I'm afraid you're not really going to be able to avoid disputes. To help you along, though, I've scrutinized a few of the trickier issues in my Is it a Scrabble Word? page. Is There a Penalty for Challenging a Valid Word? Here's a good example where you simply won't get a consistent answer, because different rules are used in different places at different times. The important thing is for you to agree on the rule (usually called the 'Challenge Rule') before you play. To help you, here's some background... Since 1953, the Scrabble rules have been clear on what happens if you play a false word (assuming the word gets challenged by your opponent, that is!). Namely, 'If the word challenged is unacceptable, the player takes back his[her] tiles and loses his [her] turn'. That much is universally accepted.

But what happens if the word turns out to be correct? Well, initially, no penalty was mentioned in the rules for a player who challenges an opponent's word, should the word turn out to be acceptable. However in 1976 the Challenge Rule changed to this, 'If the word challenged is acceptable, the challenger loses his turn.' This rule has come to be known in Scrabble circles as the 'Double Challenge Rule'. Why? Because during a challenge, both players face a potential penalty. What is the rule now? Unfortunately, it depends on where you play (and/or where you happened to purchase your Scrabble set). Even in official Scrabble circles, some tournaments (especially in North America) play to the Double Challenge rule, while others don't. The main argument used against the Double-Challenge Rule is that it encourages players to play false words, because the opponent may be too scared of challenging for fear of losing a turn. In fact, in many official tournaments nowadays a compromise rule is used in which the challenging player loses 5 points for an incorrect challenge, but does not miss out on a turn.

This rule is intended to reduce the harsh sentence, but to provide enough of a disincentive to prevent time-wasting 'frivolous' challenges. The upshot of all this is that you should agree on your own Challenge Rule before playing a game, and I've given you three commonly used possibilities here... Single Challenge (No penalty for incorrect challenge) Double Challenge (Miss a turn for incorrect challenge) 5-Point Challenge (Lose 5-points for incorrect challenge) But don't forget that in all of this variation, one thing stays constant. In the event of a successful challenge, the player who plays a false word must take all their tiles back and miss their turn. What if a Word Covers Two Triple Word Squares? I've included this question about Scrabble rules here because I have been asked it many times, and it is especially important in competitive Scrabble. Now because a word covering two triple-word squares has to be at least eight letters long, and you only have seven tiles on your rack, you might think that this situation could never happen. However, it sometimes happens that one or more letters exist on the board in between two triple-word squares, and you are able to play around this letter to cover both triple-word squares.

The resulting play is called a triple-triple, and it is the Holy Grail of Scrabble. Why? Because the triples multiply (not double) giving you nine times (not six times) the score for your play. Not only that, but if you use up all your letters in the process, you get the usual bonus 50 to boot! When you hear of ridiculous scores being achieved for a single Scrabble play, it is probably the result of a triple-triple which can score upwards of 300 points! And don't think you'll need to use up all your tiles to achieve it either. I once scored a very handy 117 points by playing just four of my letters, R-E-E-D, around an existing word PLAY that just happened to be sitting perfectly midway between two triple-word squares, allowing me to make REPLAYED. An easy word, and no need for the 50 point bonus - so watch out for this one! Got Another Scrabble Rules Dispute? There are dozens of situations that cause confusion and heated arguments in Scrabble. I've tried to cover some of the most common rule disputes here, but from time to time I'll clarify others for you in my WordBuffStuff! newsletter...

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Question: How many triple-word squares are there on a standard Scrabble board?
Answer: Eight